Opinion
It has been a rollercoaster off-season for the Dolphins, from the controversy surrounding the firing of Brian Flores to the blockbuster trade to acquire Tyreek Hill.
Strength
Despite Miami’s offence struggling over the past two seasons, their defence has been the shining light and has carried them to wins. They forced 26 turnovers last seasons, the eighth highest in the NFL. They have a secondary that make plays including Xavien Howard and Byron Jones as well as underrated players across the front seven. With exciting young players in Jevon Holland and Jaelan Phillips, this will be a fun unit.
Weakness
Over the course of this off-season, the Dolphins have essentially replaced their entire running back room and the stats prove it. They ranked 30th in total rushing yards and 31st in rushing yards per attempt and heaped pressure onto Tua Tagovailoa. They have bought in three new running backs in Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel, so they have identified the problem – let’s see if this fixes it.
Player to watch
The Dolphins looked to have nailed the 2021 draft, with Jaylen Waddle having 1000 receiving yards and Jaelan Phillips 8.5 sacks, but Jevon Holland could be the best of the three. He had the second-best defensive grade among rookies last year behind Micah Parsons and made the all-rookie team. He had an extremely underrated rookie season, and I can’t wait to see him next season.
Who’s under pressure?
This was one of the easiest picks for me in the series. Tua Tagovailoa has got the magnifying glass hovering over him, with a combination of not meeting expectations and upgraded weapons making him an easy target for media and fans. Personally, I think Tua is a potential franchise-guy and I have faith he improves his game this season with Tyreek Hill, an upgraded offensive line and depending running back group.
Projection
The hard thing for the Dolphins is although they did get better, so did nearly every other team in the AFC. They have an extremely difficult schedule, but they have definitely improved over the off-season. Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill are the fastest wide receiver duo in the NFL and will give AFC cornerback’s nightmares. If Tua can take the jump I think he can, this will be a very fun team to watch.
Win-loss: 10-7
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